News

Pioneering electric vehicle quick-charging station unveiled at Portland State

Author: Jenny DuVander, Institute for Sustainable Solutions

Posted: February 29, 2012

The first electric vehicle quick charging station in the nation to use battery-assisted technology was unveiled on Electric Avenue at Portland State University (PSU) today.

The new unit joins six other charging stations on Electric Avenue (www.pdx.edu/electricavenue), the university’s two-year research and development collaboration with Portland General Electric (PGE) and the City of Portland.

While all DC quick charging stations can charge a car in about 30 minutes, this innovative device provides half of the power from a ready-to-go battery pack, significantly reducing demand on the electric grid.

"Thanks to this innovative technology, the battery quick charging station can be installed in more places and at a lower cost," said Charlie Allcock, Business Development Director at PGE. "We know a quick charge basically doubles the useful range of electric vehicles, so this is something our customers are excited about and the industry is paying attention to."

"Oregonians continue to be early adopters of electric vehicles, so it’s fitting we are testing and evaluating promising new technology and applications," said George Beard of PSU’s office of Research and Strategic Partnerships. "With two quick charging stations now at Electric Avenue, we can better track activity and interest in fast charging."

The charging station was provided by Japanese company Kanematsu and can be found at www.evcollective.com.

Representatives from Kanematsu visited Electric Avenue today to see the charger in action.

"We are pleased to bring the next step in EV charging station technology to Electric Avenue and to participate in the Portland region’s transportation electrification efforts," said Katsuhiko Kumagai, CEO of Kanematsu USA. "We value our collaboration with PSU, PGE and the City of Portland."

Electric Avenue is part of an ongoing partnership between PSU, PGE and the City of Portland to showcase electric vehicles, charging technology and study new strategies for sustainable transportation. All charging stations are powered with 100 percent PGE renewable power. Visitors pay for parking but can plug in their cars, bikes and motorcycles at no extra charge.

The Kanematsu charging station joins these other models showcased on Electric Avenue, which is located on the PSU campus on SW Montgomery Street between SW Broadway and SW Sixth Avenue:

Eaton Corp provided two charging stations: a quick-charge station and a Level 2 (240-volt) charging station.